Ads.txt

What is ads.txt?

Ads.txt is a simple, flexible, and secure method for publishers and distributors to declare who is authorized to sell their inventory, improving transparency for programmatic buyers.

Please find IAB description.

How does it work?

Publishers drop a text file on their web servers that contains a list of companies that are authorized to sell the publishers’ inventory. Similarly, programmatic platforms also integrate ads.txt files to confirm which publishers’ inventory they are authorized to sell. This allows buyers to check the validity of the inventory they purchase.

If ad exchanges and the publishers they represent adopt ads.txt, bidders can check the presence of an ads.txt file in their tags to verify that the exchange and the publisher have a legitimate connection between them.

Why is it important for your site?

By making public the names of your authorized sellers, ads.txt certifies your inventory as authentic and gives it the value it deserves. Many DSPs restrict their ad purchases to websites that provide ads.txt files. Therefore, if your website does not provide one, it could be excluded by a growing number of potential buyers, with possible negative consequences on ad revenue.

Clickio’s ads.txt

Clickio's ads.txt reflects an elaborate configuration of our demand stack. Clickio works only with premium demand sources via Google Ad Manager, Open Bidding, Header Bidding and Server-to-Server Bidding. Dynamic Demand Stack technology uses machine learning to analyze demand partners and channels, and select combinations that guarantee the best performance.

How to update your ads.txt file?

Clickio has an ads.txt validator available in the platform. It allows publishers to check the current status of their ads.txt file and sends warnings in case of problem detection.

If there is an issue with ads.txt on your site, you will see an alert in your Clickio account. Please follow the steps below to update your ads.txt:

1. Log in to your Clickio account: Open the Ads.txt section here: https://platform.clickio.com/Adstxt
2. Find websites that need attention: Look for domains highlighted in yellow or red with the status NEED TO FIX.
3. Open the affected website: Click on the domain and check whether the status says Ads.txt was found, but it doesn’t contain all required data.
4. Add the missing lines: Copy the missing ads.txt lines shown in the platform and add them to your current ads.txt file.
   • Do not remove or replace any existing lines
   • This helps prevent possible revenue loss
     You can also download the complete ads.txt file from the platform if preferred.
5. Upload the updated file: Upload the new ads.txt file to the root directory of your domain.
6. Run a new check: Click the Re-check Ads.txt now button on the Clickio platform.
7. Confirm the update: When the status changes to Ads.txt is correct, your file has been updated successfully.